Politicians, public bid tearful farewell to Jack Layton in capital

Olivia Chow, Jack Layton's wife, breaks down in front of her husbands casket today during a visition held in Layton's honour outside the House of commons at Parliament Hill.JULIE OLIVER
/ OTTAWA CITIZEN

OTTAWA — Wen Juan never met Jack Layton, nor does she vote NDP. Rather, it was Layton's courageous fight with prostate cancer that prompted her to wait hours on Parliament Hill on Wednesday to pay her respects to the late NDP leader.

"My father died of (prostate) cancer," she said. "I remember my father at that time, he could not speak because he was in so much pain. (Layton) was like my father — very, very brave and tried their best to hide the pain to comfort friends and family surrounding them."

For more than two hours, Pierre-Antoine Jollez stood on crutches, inching forward a step at a time. Beside him, his wife Katia held an umbrella to protect their three-month-old son from the rain. There was no way to tell how much longer they would have to wait to get inside Parliament to see Layton's body lying in state. For Jollez, it didn't matter.

"I just had to do it," he said. "He went through so much more than me. He stood for more than two hours with a bad hip in the debate."

Under blue skies and grey, through sunshine and rain, thousands of Canadians like Wen and Jollez gathered in Ottawa Wednesday to remember the late NDP leader and say their goodbyes.

When the hearse carrying Layton's body arrived from Toronto earlier in the morning, the sun was shining. A crowd of several hundred mourners, many dressed in orange, had gathered already behind a metal barricade. A solitary bagpipe began to keen and the bells of the Peace Tower tolled 15 times as an honour guard of Mounties lifted the flag-draped casket and carried it up the red-carpeted steps of Parliament into the rotunda.

Inside, dozens of NDP MPs waited with Layton's closest confidantes and friends. In a plain black dress, her face sombre, Layton's widow, fellow NDP MP Olivia Chow, and the rest of the family paused at the entrance before following.

In the foyer, where Layton's body will lie in state until Thursday, the casket was placed on a black block, just feet from the House of Commons where, only a few weeks earlier, the late NDP leader had taken the seat reserved for the leader of Canada's official Opposition. Black ribbons were tied to the flagpoles while guards stood at each corner, backs to the casket, heads bowed. A picture of Layton with his trademark grin was set to one side, a bouquet of white roses laid beneath.

Chow stood with her hands clasped in front of her. The only sounds were cameras clicking and Layton's granddaughter, Beatrice, cooing. Chow smiled faintly at the little girl.

Layton's family was given a few minutes to grieve in private before the foyer was reopened and dignitaries began to file in, paying their respects to Chow and the rest of the family. Present with Chow in the foyer were his daughter Sarah Layton and her partner Hugh Campbell, Layton's granddaughter Beatrice Campbell, his son Michael Layton and his fiance Brett Tryon, and his first wife Sally Roy.

A visibly shaken Michaelle Jean spoke to Chow at length. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper's wife, Laureen, walked in, she had tears in her eyes.

Former NDP leader Ed Broadbent, who has been confirmed as one of the pallbearers at Layton's funeral in Toronto on Saturday, and interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel were the first New Democrats to enter and pay their respects.

Libby Davies and Thomas Mulcair, the NDP's co-deputy leaders and the presumed front-runners in the eventual race to replace Layton, entered side by side. Mulcair, his eyes red and his lip quivering, took a deep breath, made a cross on his chest and touched the casket. After he signed the book of condolences, Davies gave him a hug.

At mid-day, blue skies were replaced with grey clouds. Despite the threat of rain, hundreds waited outside as the last dignitaries made their way through the foyer. NDP MPs came outside to thank supporters for coming out to honour Layton, reaching across a metal barrier to hug and share memories and tears.

When Chow emerged from Centre Block, hand in hand with Michael and Sarah, the crowd erupted in applause. Then she took out a yellow rose and, with a final wave of gratitude to the crowd, disappeared back inside.

As the last dignitaries filed through, the doors were opened to the public. Throughout the day, more people arrived to honour the late NDP leader and say their goodbyes. Young and old, in groups or alone, they lined up for as long as five hours even as rain began to fall.

An NDP spokesman estimated about 1,000 people an hour had visited Layton's casket.

Many were clearly still in shock at the late NDP leader's sudden death due to cancer.

"It hasn't sunk in," said Allison Gray of Ottawa.

Pat Dolan had tears in her eyes as she recounted the last time she saw Jack Layton. It was March 9 and she and fellow members of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign were sitting in the House of Commons' public gallery. Parliament was voting on a private member's bill that would help get badly-needed medicines to developing countries. As the clerk announced the results and it became clear the bill had passed, Dolan recalled, Layton stood and pumped his fist in the grannies' direction.

"He shared our victory," she said.

Beside her stood her husband, Bill Dolan, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007.

Emily Plunkett of Ottawa remembered how Layton was the only party leader to turn out on Dec. 8 and pay tribute to John Lennon by taking part in a singing of the late musician's Give Peace a Chance.

But some of those who turned out were also worried about the future of the NDP.

Longtime party supporter Carolyn Fornataro of Ottawa said this was the first time the death of a politician had affected her so deeply. She said she couldn't help but worry about what would happen to the NDP without Layton at the helm.

"He brought our party so far," she said. "I'm concerned about the momentum of the party."

Rian McLaughlin, a past president of the Ontario Teachers' Federation, said she had met with Layton numerous times over the years, most recently in May.

"He looked tired and thinner," she said, "but the twinkle was still there and he had the same energy."

McLaughlin was one of those who wondered what would happen to the party.

"When you lose your heart and soul," she said, "you have to take time to reflect."

After paying their respects to Layton and signing the book of condolences, political allies and rivals came forward to share their thoughts on the late NDP leader.

"He was the soul of out party for so long," Nova Scotia NDP MP Peter Stoffer said. "His shoes can never be filled."

Liberal Party interim leader Bob Rae said Layton had been struck down in his prime.

"We're talking about someone who had a lot left to give the country," Rae said. "Who knows where the future would have taken him?"

Former prime minister Joe Clark said he believed the NDP's breakthrough in Quebec in May's federal election wasn't a one-hit wonder. Rather, he felt it would be one of the Layton's legacies that would continue to be felt in Canadian politics for a long time.

Toronto police will take Layton's casket from Ottawa to Toronto at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, arriving at 9 p.m. A state funeral will be held Saturday at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall.

The hall, which has a capacity of 2,500 people, will host 1,700 invited guests for the funeral. Video screens will be set up in a nearby park. Media will be restricted to selected pool reporters; remaining members of the press wishing to attend will be asked to join the public in line.

In addition to Broadbent, Layton's former chief of staff Bob Gallagher will serve as a pallbearer in Toronto. Media reports indicated former NDP leader Alexa McDonough and Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Gary Doer, who was the NDP premier of Manitoba until taking up his current post, will also serve as pallbearers.

The Department of Heritage has taken the lead in organizing the funeral, in accordance with the family's wishes.

Dominique Collin, spokeswoman for the department, said, "Of course security is part of a funeral like this. This is a state funeral. People are pouring out . . . and want to be there for the family.

"The family has requested this and think it's very important to share this with the public."

The last state funeral was for former governor general Romeo LeBlanc in July 2009. LeBlanc was laid to rest in his hometown of Memramcook, N.B., 25 kilometres southeast of Moncton.

The first Canadian state funeral was held for Thomas D'Arcy McGee after he was assassinated in 1868. McGee was a cabinet minister in the first Parliament under Sir John A. Macdonald.

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